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Bollywood actor Sonu Sood named THE WEEK's Man of the Year

Sood has helped the needy in several other ways including paying for surgeries

Soul tales: Actor Sonu Sood is all set to write a book on his experience of helping migrant workers return to their hometowns during the lockdown. He says the past three-and-a-half months have been life-changing for him. “While my heart beats in Mumbai, after this movement I feel a part of me lives in the villages of UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Uttarakhand and various other states, where I have now found new friends and made deep connections,” he said. “I have decided to put these experiences, stories that are embedded in my soul forever, in a book.” The book will be published by Penguin Random House | Getty Images

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has been named THE WEEK's Man of the Year.

Sood, was chosen due to his philanthropic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

No other celebrity has done as much to help others during the lockdown. 

Sood has helped stranded migrant workers get back home. 

Sood has helped the needy in several other ways including paying for surgeries, setting up scholarships or campaigning for women's rights.

In July, Sood bought a tractor for a farmer in Andhra Pradesh, after a video of his daughter ploughing the field went viral. In July, the actor also provided the Mumbai Police with 25,000 face shields as they continued to serve during the pandemic. 

Sood, this year has also been named the number one South Asian celebrity in the world for his philanthropic efforts.

Sood, who has starred in movies like Dabangg and Simmba, was accused of helping the needy as a part of a 'PR exercise'. He shared proof in form of screenshot of spreadsheets with a hospital’s scheduled paediatric surgeries. The actor has helped needy families with funding for surgeries for their children, including a liver transplant for a six-year-old.